Devices for removing the tread of worn tires, often called “buffers” or “raspers,” are well known. Tire buffing is part of a typical tire retreading operation.
Typically, the tire casing selected for retreading is buffed to remove excess rubber to provide a substantially evenly-textured crown for receiving a pre-cured tread strip and to provide a predetermined tire casing profile. Tire casings usually include a belt package (a package of steel belts or cables) underlying the road-engaging surface (e.g., the original tread) of the tire. The casing is buffed, generally to a predetermined characteristic crown radius corresponding to the upper contour of the belt package. The shoulder of the casing also can be buffed (trimmed) to eliminate or reduce voids or patterns in the shoulder created by the original tread and to provide a desired profile between the casing side walls and the crown.
Typically, an operator buffs a tire casing by directing a buffer over a multiplicity of tread removal passes, substantially in a sideways, pass-after-pass method. Known manual devices that require an operator to physically direct the buffing machine's removal direction and speed produce time periods between tread removal passes where the rate of tread rubber removal are less than optimal.
Furthermore, known automated devices rely on an operator to manually assist in the mounting of a worn tire casing to the automated buffer and the unloading of the buffed casing from the buffer. Accordingly, an operator is typically assigned to the buffing station (and other stations in the retreading process in which the tire casing is mounted to a tire hub assembly) and is limited in his ability to move from that area to work in other processing areas of a retreading facility.
Thus, there exists a need for a tire buffing machine which is easy to use and which improves tire buffing efficiency. As a related matter, there is a need for tire buffing systems and methods for tire buffing with enhanced automated capabilities. In addition, there exists a need for means for facilitating the mounting and dismounting of a tire casing on an expandable rim hub in other retreading operations, such as, at a skiving station. The present disclosure is directed to addressing these and other needs in the tire industry.
It will be appreciated that this background description is intended to aid the reader, and is not to be taken as an indication that any of the indicated problems were themselves appreciated in the art. While the described principles can, in some respects and embodiments, alleviate the problems inherent in other systems, it will be appreciated that the scope of the protected innovation is defined by the attached claims, and not by the ability of any disclosed feature to solve any specific problem noted herein.